Bava Box Set, Vol. 2

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 6
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 (Alternate Wide Screen), 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV, Color
• Subtitle: English

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Riccardo Cucciolla
       Brett Halsey - Roy Colt
       Lea Lander
       Charles Southwood - Winchester Jack
       Maurice Poli
       Marilù Tolo - Mahila
       Teodoro Corra - Reverend
       George Eastman
       Luigi Montefiore
       Aldo Caponi
       Isa Miranda - Madame
       Antonio Cantafora - Peter Kleist
       Nicoletta Elmi - Gretchen
       Daniela Giordano
       Massimo Girotti - Uncle Karl
       Brett Halsey
       Umberto Raho - Inspector
       Elke Sommer - Eva

• Director:

  Lamberto Bava, Mario Bava, Mickey Lion

• Producer:

  Luigi Alessi, Alfred Leone, Roberto Loyola, José Gutiérrez Maesso, Giuseppe Zaccariello

• Dialogue Writer:

  Carlo Reali

• Screen Story:

  Cesare Frugoni, Alessandro Parenzo

• Screenwriter:

  William A. Bairn, Franco Barberi, Mario Bava, Mario di Nardo, Vincent Fotre, Cesare Frugoni, Alfred Leone, Filippo Ottoni, Alessandro Parenzo, Dardano Sacchetti, Alberto Tintini

• Cinematographer:

  Mario Bava, Cecilio Paniagua, Antonio Rinaldi, Emilio Varriano

• Composer (Music Score):

  Les Baxter, Stelvio Cipriani, Joaquín Rodrigo, Carlo Savina, Piero Umiliani

• Songwriter:

  Piero Umiliani

• Editor:

  Mario Bava, Angelo Marzulio, Carlo Reali

• Art Director:

  Nedo Azzini, Enzo Bulgarelli

REVIEWS:

• Easily the most nihilistic of Mario Bava's films, Rabid Dogs may also have one of the most interesting histories of his cinematic library. Left unfinished after the main investor died in a tragic car accident, literally freezing the funding needed to complete the film, Rabid Dogs was long thought lost - never to be seen in completed form. The film resurfaced in 1998, making its world premiere on DVD after a small Italian production company raised the needed funds to complete post-production. A marked departure from Bava's usual body of work, Rabid Dogs takes place entirely in broad daylight, trading the rich primary hues and slick visualization that usually distinguish his work for harsh natural lighting and stark compositions. It's been said that Rabid Dogs represents Bava's view of the world as a cold and cruel place, offering an interesting perspective on why he immersed himself entirely into a form of art through which he could escape the realities of everyday life. The plot, which involves a trio of criminals who, after a botched robbery take hostages and hit the road in a speeding car, creates a claustrophobic and pounding tension that conveys a feeling of constant impending dread in a volatile situation. Through a series of plot twists and unexpected events, the viewer's sympathies are shifted time and again, straight into the final unexpected frame of the film. Bava's hand in manipulating the viewer's emotions proves sure to the brutally bitter end, leaving his audience vulnerable for the final ironic twist that serves as a jet-black slap in the face to anyone who may have expected a comforting resolution. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
• Though this horror film from Mario Bava is not considered one of his best, it is one of his most notorious. When original screenings failed to sell the picture, producer Alfred Leone decided to have Bava shoot additional footage and re-cut the picture. The result -- an attempt to capitalize on the success of The Exorcist -- was titled The House of Exorcism and released in the U.S. in 1975. Bava's original cut is confusing at times, but it is far better than the "possession" theme that was oddly spliced into House. Elke Sommer is solid as the tormented Lisa while co-star Alessio Orano plays Max as a demented mama's boy -- an interesting twist considering the role was originally offered to and turned down by Psycho star Anthony Perkins. The real highlight of the performances is Telly Savalas as the jovial, lollipop-sucking butler. The late Kojak star plays this devilish servant with a darkly comic glee that few actors could have brought to such a part. His finest sequence finds him breaking the legs of a corpse while trying to squeeze it into a too-small coffin while singing "Say It With Flowers." As with every Bava film, his visuals deserve the highest praise. Lisa's frightened walk through the city's dark streets in the beginning is particularly noteworthy. In every shot, Sommer is framed by the stunning architecture making a scene that is simultaneously scary and beautiful. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide

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